What is the IMAZINGAPP file format?
An .imazingapp file is a backup of a single iOS app's data, created by iMazing, the iPhone and iPad manager from DigiDNA. It holds the settings, saved state and documents that live inside one app's sandbox, such as game progress, local chat history or preferences. iMazing added this format in version 1.3, released in September 2015, as the first way to selectively back up and restore app state on modern iOS.
Under the hood the file is a ZIP archive with a renamed extension. Extract it and you find a Container folder with Documents, Library, preference files and any local databases the app uses. One thing it never contains is the app itself. The application binary would be an .ipa file, and that code is deliberately left out. Backups are named after their source app, so you end up with files like WhatsApp.imazingapp or Spotify.imazingapp.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWThe format is a plain ZIP archive that carries app data, so it is not executable and cannot run code on its own. The main concern is privacy: an .imazingapp can contain login tokens, chat logs and other personal data, so keep the file secure and only restore backups from a source you trust.
Format details
in a nutshellPrograms that open IMAZINGAPP files
Windows3 apps
WinRAR
Paid Open the archive in WinRAR to view or extract the app's sandbox contents without restoring to a device. 
7-Zip
Open-source Rename the file to .zip (or open it directly) in 7-Zip to browse and extract the Container folder and inspect plist and save files. 
iMazing
Freemium Install iMazing, connect your device, then use Restore App Data and pick the .imazingapp file to write its data back to the matching app. 
macOS3 apps
The Unarchiver
Free Rename the file to .zip and open it with The Unarchiver to extract and examine the raw app data.
iMazing
Freemium Launch iMazing, select your connected iPhone or iPad, choose Restore App Data and select the .imazingapp file to restore the app's state.
Archive Utility
Built-in Change the extension to .zip and double-click so the built-in Archive Utility unpacks the container's contents. Technical details
deep spec| Encoding | Binary |
| Byte order | Little-endian (ZIP) |
| Container | ZIP archive with a custom .imazingapp extension |
| Compression | DEFLATE (standard ZIP compression) |
| Encryption | None applied by iMazing to the container itself; sensitive app data may already be protected inside the sandbox |
| Typical size | Kilobytes to hundreds of megabytes, depending on the app's data |
| Structure | A ZIP package holding the app's iOS sandbox data. Extracted contents commonly include a Container folder with Documents, Library and preferences, plist configuration files, game saves and local databases. The file stores app state only, not the app binary (.ipa). |
| Integrity | CRC-32 per ZIP entry |
| Platforms | iOS, iPadOS, Windows, macOS |
| Notes | Files are named after the source app (for example Spotify.imazingapp). Restoring requires the app to already be installed or downloadable from the App Store; iMazing reinstalls it if needed. Some apps that use shared containers (such as WhatsApp) or web-backed accounts back up incompletely. |
| Released | 2015 (iMazing 1.3) |
IMAZINGAPP conversions
Community Q&A
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